February 2010
From the Desk of Pastor Lassman
The Journey of Lent
Dear Fellow Redeemed in Christ,
On Feb. 17 we begin the Season of Lent with our Ash Wednesday service with the imposition of ashes and the Lord’s Supper. Just as the Season of Advent developed in relation to Christmas and the birth of Jesus, so likewise the Season of Lent developed in relation to the death of Jesus on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter. The basic idea of Lent is one of reflection on our sin and our mortality. So it is a time of repentance. This is reflected in our Sunday morning services by the adjustments made in hymns by excluding any hymns that contain the word “alleluia” as well as in the liturgy by omitting the “Hymn of Praise/Gloria in Excelsis” and the “Alleluia” response before the reading of the Gospel. In our last closing hymn for “Transfiguration Sunday”, Feb. 14, we sing “Farewell to Alleluia” and we will not sing “Alleluia” again until Easter when we express our joy in the resurrection of our Lord.
The Season of Lent begins 40 days before Easter. Forty is a symbolic number in the bible for testing and repentance. The Israelites spent 40 years in the desert as punishment by God for their unbelief and disobedience when the left Egypt. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness when Satan tempted him.
The Season of Lent has a long his history in the Church. The idea of preparing for Easter through prayer and fasting goes back at least to around 180 AD when the custom is mention by the Church Father, Irenaeus. By 325 AD the 40 day fast was common; by 550 AD the Season of Lent began on Wednesday instead of Sunday and by 590 AD we have the first mention of “Ash Wednesday” and the beginning of the custom of placing ashes on the forehead to remind worshipers of their mortality (“dust you are and to dust you shall return” Gen. 3:19) and their need for repentance and forgiveness. By the year 600 AD “Alleluias” are not used during the Season of Lent and the practice of omitting the “Gloria in Excelsis” (“Hymn of Praise”) started in 1090 AD. The last week of the Lenten Season is called “Holy Week” which begins with “Palm Sunday” (March 28) which was the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to the cheers of the crowd and less than one week before his death. The first reference to “Palm Sunday” is 384 AD. The following Thursday is “Maundy Thursday” (April 1), first mentioned in 393 AD. “Maundy” comes from the Latin version of the bible as the Latin word “Mandatum” means “command” as Jesus says in John 13:34 “I give you a new command (mandatum) that you love one another as I have loved you.” On this night of His betrayal Jesus gave His Supper to us for the forgiveness of our sins. At the end of the service the Altar is “stripped” to symbolize the arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The next night is “Good Friday” (April 2), first mentioned in 392 AD, when Jesus died for our sins and for all people. On this night we have a Tenebrae Service, that is, a Service of Darkness. This is the most somber and reverent service in the entire Christian Calendar, ending in darkness with all worshipers leaving in silence. What a contrast on “Easter” (April 4), first mentioned in 154 AD, as we celebrate our Lord’s Resurrection from the dead and joyfully sing as many “Alleluias” as we can!
You see, then, how ancient these customs are. But they are meaningful only as we understand their purpose: to help us to reflect on our sin and mortality and how Jesus came to give us forgiveness and eternal life. Please join us on Sundays and Wednesdays and Holy Week as we travel this ancient Lenten journey together until we arrive at Easter!
In Christ,
Pastor Lassman
LENTEN MIDWEEK SERIES
“THE CHRISTIAN AND CROSS BEARING”
“Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:25)
1) Ash Wednesday (Feb. 17): “What It Means To Bear The Cross”
2) Midweek two (Feb. 24): “Every Christian Bears The Cross”
3) Midweek three (Mar. 3): “The Right Attitude For Bearing the Cross”
4) Midweek four (Mar. 10): “The Purpose Of Bearing The Cross”
5) Midweek Five (March 17): “The Cross And Sin”
6) Midweek Six (March 24): “The Strength To Bear The Cross”
Service: Ash Wednesday– Divine Service II, Page 167,
Lutheran Service Book (with imposition of ashes);
Other Wednesdays – Order of Vespers, Page 229, Lutheran Service Book
Time: 7:00pm Please join us for dinner at 6:00pm
From the Vicar
Greetings in the name of our Risen Lord and Savior,
In honor of February being a shorter month I am going to make this a shorter article! So let’s get to the point. Lutherans have always been on the cutting edge of communication technology. In the early days many of the first writings of Dr. Luther were distributed via a brand new technology at the time: the printing press. In our world this may not appear all that revolutionary. However, this did more to spread Lutheran ideas and to sustain the Reformation than anyone can say. Then, for the first time, through the same technology, average people could read God’s Word in their own language. From the early days of Lutheranism, we have embraced new ways of sharing the Gospel and reaching the lost.
Lutheran churches America were some of the first church bodies to embrace the new technology of radio. With programs like the Lutheran Hour and Worship for Shut-ins, we are able to not only minister to our own homebound people but also share the Gospel with an entirely new audience. Then, with the advent of television, once again we were on the cutting edge with programs like This is the Life and Davey and Goliath. Both of these shows have had a huge impact on the Church and the culture of America. Even today, nearly 40 years after they went off the air, you can still find references to both of these shows on pop culture television programs.
This brings us to today and the new communication technology of the internet. Here at Messiah, I can proudly say that we are following in this long history of sharing the Gospel through the use of the latest technology. We were an early adopter of the internet with the creation of our content rich web page and email communication. We were also pioneers on YouTube and itunes with the freely available videos of Pastor’s Adult Information Classes. Even more recently we have begun to embrace the latest communication craze in Facebook. But the future of technology is difficult to predict. The only thing we are certain of is that it is going to change. And with these rapid changes of new technology there is a great need for discernment. Saint Paul reminds us that “Everything is permissible—but not everything is beneficial.”(1 Cor. 10:23a) I know this quote is out of context but I think it can be applied to many aspects of the Christian’s life. We must use new technologies in an appropriate and God-pleasing manner. To that end, we are in the process of forming a technology committee here at Messiah. God has richly blessed us with many intelligent and well educated people with a grasp of where technology is headed. It is our desire to use those talents to continue to share the precious gift of Jesus to this sin-fallen world.
We are hoping to have our initial meeting sometime during the month of February. As we get a grasp on what we want to and can accomplish. I pray that in the not-too-distant future I will be able to share with the members of Messiah many exciting new ways to help the church and spread the name of our Lord.
Lord’s Blessings,
Vicar Mankin
Youth Corner
Hello Everyone,
So now that we are past the Christmas season and firmly into the New Year, how is your PHD coming? Have you forgotten? In the November Messenger you were encouraged to work of your PHD (pray, help and discuss) in youth ministry. I know how easy it can be to let things slip when things are out of sight and out of mind, but I encourage you to continue to place our youth in your prayers and if you are so inclined please let us know if you would like to volunteer and we will find a place for you.
All of us on the youth board are very excited about our new youth board president, Jim Pierce, and first meeting where we began to look at new ways to minister to the youth here at Messiah.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. – Eph. 6:18
Schedule
Feb. 14th – When God goes to Starbucks (High School)
Feb. 28th – When God goes to Starbucks (High School)
Mar. 6th – Snow Tubing (Junior High and High School)
UPCOMING EVENTS
Ladies’ Night Out - Put on your grass skirt and coconut shells and hula on over to the Kona Kitchen for dinner, February 15th, at 6:00pm. Kona Kitchen is located at 8501 5th Avenue NE. RSVP to Bev Edmon.
March Messenger deadline is February 21st.
Lutheran Confessions - Come join the Confessions Reading Group. Beginning February 1st we will start reading the Augsburg Confession and discussing it. While this isn’t a formal class we are learning about out Lutheran confession of faith, our Lutheran heritage, and about our Lutheran fathers as we read and discuss the Book of Concord. We meet in the “Youth room” upstairs at 7:00 PM every Monday starting February 1st. The Reading Group is led by Jim Pierce.
CURRENT AND UPCOMING BIBLE STUDIES
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FELLOWSHIP HALL BIBLE CLASS
WHAT: “Revelation”
WHEN: Sunday Mornings 9:20 a.m.
WHERE: Fellowship Hall
INSTRUCTOR: Pastor Lassman
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HIGH SCHOOL BIBLE CLASS SUNDAY MORNINGS
WHAT: “Growing in Christ”
WHEN: Sunday Mornings 9:20 a.m.
WHERE: Youth Room-Room 202
INSTRUCTOR: Vicar Mankin
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YOUNG ADULTS
WHAT: Devotion and Fellowship
WHEN: 1st and 3rd Sundays, 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Lounge
INSTRUCTOR: Vicar Mankin
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HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH NIGHT
WHAT: Devotion and Fellowship
WHEN: 2nd and 4th Sundays, 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Youth Room
INSTRUCTOR: Vicar Mankin
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MONDAY EVENING MARY/MARTHA BIBLE STUDY
WHAT: Women’s Bible Study “The Lutheran Spirituality Series: Community”
WHEN: First Monday of February: Feb 1 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Lounge
INSTRUCTOR: Vicar Mankin
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MONDAY EVENING STUDY
WHAT: “Lutheran Confessions”
WHEN: Every Monday Evening, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Youth Room-Room 202
LEADER: Jim Pierce
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TUESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY
WHAT: “2 Corinthians”
WHEN: Tuesday Mornings, 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: Fellowship Hall
INSTRUCTOR: Pastor Lassman
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THURSDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY
WHAT: “1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus
WHEN: Thursday Evenings, 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Youth Room-Room 202
LEADER: Jim Grant
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ADULT INFORMATION CLASS
WHAT: A 15-week course on basic Christian teachings
WHEN: Thursday Evenings, 7:00 p.m. New Class began January 28th
WHERE: Fellowship Hall
INSTRUCTOR: Pastor Lassman
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FOR YOUR INFORMATION
HELP WANTED – Messiah part time, paid, temporary job opening for Church Secretary. If you are interested in this position, please contact the Church Office at (206) 524-0024. This position is designed to assist the acting Parish Administrator, Kathee McAlpine.
Lady. This will be my last report on Lady to make sure that everyone has heard what happened. Just a week after my report on Lady in the January Messenger she had to be put to sleep on January 6th. In the short period of 36 hours she lost most of the use of all her legs due to the tumor pressing on her spinal cord in the neck area. The previous day she had walked all the way across the front lawn of the church and back! But the next day she couldn’t even stand. Lady was 13.5 years old and was a joyous part not only of the Lassman family but also here at Messiah as many of you knew her through bible classes, catechism classes and other events. “Church” Lady will be missed. Thank you all for your expressions of concern and support. Pastor and Kathy.
Ethiopian Mission Support - Teacher for the Ethiopian Mission Sunday School - We could still use one more person to help teach the Sunday School for Mekane Yesus, the Ethiopian Mission church (11 am - 1 pm). There are now 9 children coming between the ages 3-11 years. It is getting to be too much for one person to handle. For information contact Ann Melvin, or Cheryl Kohring, or Dorothy Bellin
Lutheran Marriage Encounter
Winter - Spring 2010 dates
February 12-14 in Tukwila, WA
April 23-25 in Tukwila, WA
It’s February. In the movie “Groundhog Day,” every day the leading man kept living the same day over and over and over again. Despite all his efforts to fight the daily repetition of each day in Punxsutawney, life only gets worse and he is more frustrated in the pursuit of his love interest. It isn’t until Phil (our hero) is given advice by his love interest that he has a change in attitude, turning his life around. He grows personally, his relationships with others improve, and, of course, he wins her heart and life moves on to February 3 with her by his side.
You can be a spark for your spouse, and together you can help each other break out of the daily routine of life, living life together to the fullest. A Marriage Encounter weekend together can be just that opportunity.
For more information or to schedule yourselves for a weekend together, visit the Lutheran Marriage Encounter website www.GodLovesMarriage.org or contact Carl & Dallas Anne Presley, 206-522-6840, carl.presley@comcast.net
Lutheran Marriage Encounter toll-free number: 1-800-235-1010.
Mission Project Opportunity
Interested in a short-term mission project this summer in Kenya? The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Kenya is looking for a team of volunteers to assist at one of the LCMS World Relief and Human Care funded orphanages. The team would work with the children at one of the orphanages, teaching at the adjoining school, helping the staff and sharing their faith through Bible activities, songs and lessons. The missionaries would like a team of 6-12. I would like to try to put together a team from Messiah and other area Lutheran churches. For more information contact Ann Melvin.
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November 22, 1958 - Robert Grober - November 22, 2009
Roland Grober and his family would like to thank the congregation at Messiah Lutheran Church, as well as Pastor Lassman. A personal thank you to Jim Grant for his continuous support and spiritual guidance. Thank you all for your prayers, support, generosity and kindness during this period of great loss of my dear, departed son, Robert Grober. Robert is dearly missed and your prayers and well wishes have been a great comfort to us.
Roland Grober
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SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS
from Bob Guthrie
Last month the news was all about Christmas, and all those wonderful people who helped the children share there love of Jesus with the congregation. This time I thought it would be good to write about the other 51 Sundays. Messiah is blessed to have faithful teachers of Gods word to help our children grow in faith and in relationship with their Savior. Our teachers are there every Sunday. Some have been teaching for decades while others are in the early part of there calling to teach. Diverse vocations, skills and backgrounds are represented. The one thing they all have in common is a love for the Lord and a desire to share Gods love and the gifts they have been given, to teach our children.
Keep these dedicated people in your prayers:
Staff Bob Guthrie, and Martha Weiss
Nursery/kindergarten Jill Cohrs and Kim Strege
First grade Sharon Weiss
Second grade Joann Estergreen
Third and fourth grade Ann Melvin and Sara Zimmerman
Fifth grade David Paeth
Junior High John Daigneault
High School Vicar Mankin
And our substitutes Rachel King, Jeri Aguayo, Judy Koppleman, Sarah Rigby
See you next Sunday!
CONCORDIA NEWS
from Dave Meyer
Our Day School is going through the renewal process for our accreditation. Part of this process is to survey our parents and families. I thank all of you that participated in our survey that was sent out online to our Day School families. I am proud to let all of you know that we have scored 88% (very effective) in the caring community category. I think we all need to stand up and take a bow because this stat proves that each one of you that walk through the building daily are genuine and care for each other. I am not sure that there is a better job than to be involved in a school that has such a high emphasis on caring for each other. This is a Christ like attitude that we are to care for one another, and we do that here at Concordia. From our 3 years olds sharing toys, to our Grandparents’ day, unconditional love is alive and thank you for being a part of this caring place, Concordia!
Upcoming Concordia Events
2/5 - 2010 LEST Chili Cook-off - please join us for an evening of fellowship and chili sampling! This annual event helps support our Cardinal and Black Teams on their trip to Portland OR for the 2010 LEST (Lutheran Elementary Schools Tournament).
2/11-2/12 - No School - LEST - Portland OR February Basketball Games:
2/15 - No School - President's Day 2/4 - AWAY game @ Parkland-3:30 pm 2/16 - No School - Mid-winter break
Social Ministry–WE SHARE BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT OTHERS News
Sue Hewitson, Social Ministry Chair
Lake City Christmas Project
It was a huge success this year with all 25 tags taken and gifts returned. Thank you to all who participated. There is a "Thank you" note posted on the bulletin board in the coffee bar area.
Seminary Gift Cards
We purchased $830.00 (purchased from Concordia) gift cards and sent them to Fort Wayne Seminary. These are
given out before Christmas to seminary students and their families. I have received several "Thank you" notes
from the recipients, these notes are on the bulletin board by the coffee bar.
Lenten Dinners
Starting on Ash Wednesday, (February 17th) we will be serving a "Soup, Salad and Bread" supper at 6:00pm
before the Lenten service. As always, I need helpers to make this happen. You will find a sign up sheet on the
upstairs bulletin board if you would like to help out. Help is needed at 3:00pm to set up and make the salad, 5:00
to make the punch and coffee and 6:15 to start the clean up. Please sign up to help if you are available.
Monthly Donations
Shampoos, combs and deodorants are the items requested by Immanuel Lutheran and Compass Cascade for some of Seattle’s homeless, whom they/we assist. Please put these items in the basket in the lounge in February. They will be counted, divided into two sacks and Robin Arbuckle will deliver them to Immanuel Lutheran and Compass Cascade. If you are able, please help locally.
The Lions’ Club needs eyeglasses, which we no longer need. They distribute them internationally. There
is a container in the lounge for old eyeglasses. Margaret Sylwester will deliver them to a local optometrist.
If you are able, please help internationally.
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) News
Ladies Guild Luncheon
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
12:00 Noon
Bring your Favorite Casserole or Salad or ?
Don’t forget your MITE box for Missions
Project Day
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
9:30 am - 2:00 pm
Bring a sack lunch
Prayer Service
AT: The Olympic Zone LWML Prayer Service will be held
St. Timothy Lutheran Church
5124 164th Street SW
Edmonds, WA
DATE: Saturday, February 13, 2010
TIME: 10:00 AM
College Scholarships Available
Women preparing for full-time church work in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and are registered with an LCMS University or expecting to be accepted in such a program for the fall of 2010 may apply. See last months Messenger for details or call Pastor Lassman or Margie Longan. Application deadline - must be postmarked by March 15, 2010.
Mite Boxes
Don’t forget the last Sunday of the month is the day to bring in your mite boxes. Drop your box in the basket at the back of the Sanctuary and pick up another one. Your change goes a long way in supporting Lutheran mission activities around the world.
Washington/Alaska District LWML Convention
Plan to attend! More information will be in the March Messenger
June 18-20, 2010
Spokane, WA Mark your calendars NOW! Plan to Attend!
Mary-Martha Ministries
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. Luke 10:38-39.
Monthly Women's Bible Study
We will continue the "The Lutheran Spirituality Series: Community" study. this month's study will be led by Vicar Mankin. All women of Messiah are welcome.
Monday, February 1st 7:00pm
Prayer Tree Ministry
Annual meeting will be on March 21st. If you are interested in joining the Prayer Tree,
please contact Stephanie Colbert.
